Checkmate
by riyangendut
Summary: Small talk over a game of chess could sometime uncover hidden secrets within one's heart
1. Checkmate

**I didn't plan this one. I initially wanted to write another 8manxKomachi fic, because** _ **a certain someone**_ **made a hilarious review, but then I read something about chess and I wanted to write a fic with chess in it. And somehow...this happened.**

 **I don't own Oregairu**

* * *

Despite her personality being polar opposite compared to that of Hikigaya-kun, Komachi-chan is a proud member of Hikigaya family. She prided herself of being perceptive and a master tactician, capable of weighing every option available and choosing the most optimal answer.

Which is why I'm playing chess with her in her living room.

"Don't you think there's something wrong about all this, Komachi-chan? Ah, you can't move that Knight, my Bishop is still lying in wait right there."

"Don't sweat the details, Yukinoshita-san! Thanks for the tips, though!" Placing down the Black Knight on his hand, she instead opted to move a pawn right beside it in a desperate attempt to free her King from a deadlock.

Of course, an act borne of desperation would never trump calculated move. With one swift move, I captured her Knight with my Queen, securing its position with the idle Bishop and strategic pawns.

"Checkmate."

Apparently she forgot to make me tea that day.

* * *

"Yukinoshita-san, what do you think about Onii-chan?"

Another Saturday, another round of chess with the younger of Hikigaya siblings. I was pondering about whether or not I should castle my Black King when she suddenly asked me that question.

I decided against castling the King and moved the Knight instead, ending my turn.

"What's with the sudden question, Komachi-chan?"

"Nothing, really. Just plain curiosity as you seems to be getting along with him, yet keeping an invisible boundary around you when you're with everyone else. Check." She moved her Bishop into a direct line towards my King. "I wonder what kind of Onii-chan that you saw that let you drop your guards around him."

"I don't think Hikigaya-kun that I see differs that much from the one that you see everyday." I moved a pawn to block her advance. "He was a stupid, lazy, close-minded guy with strange sort of altruism."

She replied with a Knight, aggressively capturing the pawn I recently moved. "Sometimes I wonder if the correct way to protect him is to stay away from him, to keep her away from heartache that he seems to naturally attract."

I captured her Bishop with my Rook, securing an invasion route through the right side of the chess board.

"But he doesn't want that, now does he?"

"I wouldn't know." As I expected, she castled her King on the far left corner. "I guess there's only one way to know."

"Ask him. That's the best and fastest way." I moved my Queen all the way across the board to capture the pawn near her King. "Checkmate."

I don't think she actually forgot to make me tea.

* * *

Between the exam preparation and the actual exams, we hadn't played chess for almost three months. It's not like we never met, we went to the same school, after all. Rather, I never have enough spare time to simply sit still and play chess with her. Somehow, being unable to do that irritates me so much. One Wednesday afternoon, I just can't stand it anymore.

I stalked the classroom where Komachi-chan was supposed to be. As soon as she went out of the class, I pulled her to a corner and pinned her onto the wall.

 _Geez, this is so unlike me._

"Eh? Wha- Yukinoshita-senpai?!"

"Let's play chess again."

Silence.

Komachi-chan was stunned by the ridiculous predicament, and frankly I would've laughed out loud too if the reverse were to happen.

"Pfft, hahaha, hahaha." She laughed for a solid three minutes. "I'm sorry, Yukinoshita-san, this is just, pfft." She took a deep breath, finally able to form coherent sentences. "Please wait until my next lesson finished. I'll send you a mail. See you!"

* * *

"It's so unlike you, Yukinoshita-san. Did something happen?"

As we both took turns moving our respective pieces, she opened the day's interrogation session.

"Third year of high school tends to change people." I noticed her movement is calmer and more calculated than the last time we played.

"I could see that you become more honest, at least. Check." Her Knight locked onto my King, but I swiftly captured it with my Queen.

"Well, between me and Hikigaya-kun, someone has to be in charge of honesty department." She chuckled.

"Yes, that's more like it, Yukinoshita-san." She paused to move her pieces "That's the Yukinoshita Yukino that Onii-chan fell in love with." My cheek involuntarily blushed at her off-hand remarks.

"What are you talking about, Komachi-chan?"

"Did you really think I won't notice? Check."

"Ah, it's a Checkmate."

"Eh, really?! Ah, I'll get you tea real fast."

As I thought, she didn't forget to make me tea after all.

"Which one of you confessed first?"

I strongly suspected that she brought me tea solely to make me choke myself so that she could kill me while masking it as an accident.

 _It sounds like something that Hikigaya-kun would say, sigh._

"L-like I said, I don't know what you are talking about." Her eyes widen.

"Neither of you had confessed yet?" She suddenly stood up, and held onto my hand. "This won't do! You have to-"

"Wai-" as she suddenly pulled my hand, I tripped to the table, and I fell on top of her.

 _Good thing we're both girls._

 _Well, I guess there are people who would enjoy steamy events between us too. Like Zaimokuza, or Ebina, or Zaimokuza... I wonder if Hikigaya-kun is one such people._

"Are you okay, Komachi-chan?"

I tried to pull myself up, but her slender arms prevented me to move any further. I could hear a faint sob coming from her.

"Komachi-chan? Are you hurt?"

"No,*sobs* just, just let me cry for a moment." I returned her embrace, letting her cry on my chest for several minutes before she started speaking again.

"I was scared." Letting her move at her own pace, I waited in silence until she started speaking again. "I was afraid that I can't be on Onii-chan's side anymore, that you would take him away from me. But then I realized that that feeling isn't normal, that's not how a little sister should feel towards her brother..."

"Are you still afraid?"

"...yes."

"I... Just like you suspected, I'm in love with Hikigaya-kun. I don't regret that, and I..." I took a deep breath "I'm sorry."

Again, I tried to pull myself, but her arms firmly held me close.

"Komachi-chan?"

"Yukinoshita-senpai!"

"Y-yes?!"

"My brother is in love with you, would you go out with him?!"

"Don't put words in my mouth." The two of us turned towards the source of the voice.

"Onii-chan?!" "Hikigaya-kun?!"

"Ahem." I cleared my throat "I didn't know you're such a pervert, Hikigaya-kun. How long have you been watching us?"

"I was surprised when you started yelling, so I thought I'll take a look. I didn't know you swing that way, Yukinoshita."

"I don't! Komachi-chan, could you please let me go already?!"

* * *

"Checkmate." My opponent declared with a flat, disinterested tone.

This time, my opponent wasn't Komachi-chan, but her fatalistic elder brother. The setting was different too; we were playing in the quiet club room after the tiring exam day. After Yuigahama-san left earlier, it just felt right for me to talk with a Hikigaya over the game of chess.

"Don't you have anything to ask me, Hikigaya-kun?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Again- ah, when the two of you..."

"I know what the two of us did." I sighed. "Let me get us tea."

"Thanks." He packed up the chess set as I brewed tea for the two of us.

"There's no use hiding it, is there?"

"What do you want me to do, Yukinoshita?" He paused to take a sip out of his tea. "Isn't it easier to pretend I heard nothing, staying just where we are right now?"

"But we won't always be here. We will change, we will drift apart, we will find our own paths..."

"And maybe it's better that way. No one will get hurt, as everything separates into their own destiny."

"But that way _everyone_ will get hurt. That's where you're mistaken, Hikigaya-kun. Leaving everyone in the shadow of doubt wouldn't save anyone." I looked straight into his eyes. "Above all, it would hurt _you,_ Hikigaya-kun. Not everyone would let you harm yourself in order to save another."

"Hiratsuka-sensei had taught you alright."

"She has nothing to do with this."

"Then maybe you have nothing to do with my feelings either." He left me alone, his voice echoed in the empty room.

That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear.

I chased after him, grabbed and threw his shoulder to the wall. "How long are you going to run away, you coward?"

"Yukinoshita, it hurts..."

"You bet it hurts!" His eyes widened as several passerby looked at us curiously.

"What do you want from me?"

"No, Hikigaya-kun, what do _you_ want from me? Do you want me to say it out loud? Do you want me to announce it to the entire school? Because believe me, if you tell me to, I _will_. I will do _anything_ for you, so why can't you understand?!"

"Yukinoshita..." I buried my face on his chest.

"I love you, Hikigaya-kun."

But I know he won't answer me.

"I have to go." He pried my arms, leaving me alone in the corridor bathed in crimson sunlight.

* * *

"Check."

The younger of Hikigaya siblings declared as her Queen made a straight line to my King. I moved a Knight to block her, and her Queen retreated.

"He rejected me."

"Hmm?" She raised her face to look at me in the eyes.

"I confessed to him, Hikigaya-kun, I mean. He rejected me." Our chess pieces danced in silence.

"...I just wish he doesn't hurt himself so much."

"Checkmate. Don't you dare pretend you forgot to make me tea." I smiled. She smiled. I patted her head.

"Let me get you tea real quick."

* * *

 **Hmm, I wonder, would this fic qualify as Yukinox8man or YukinoxKomachi?**

 **Critics and Reviews are always appreciated. riyangendut out.**


	2. Checkmate 2: Schrodinger's Ressurection

**I didn't plan this one, just like when I wrote the previous chapter. I walked down to the campus, thinking about Schrodinger's cat, and somehow... this.**

 **I should give up figuring out how human minds work.**

* * *

Checkmate 2: And Schrodinger's Cat Arise from Death (Alternative End)

"Checkmate." My opponent declared with a flat, disinterested tone.

This time, my opponent wasn't Komachi-chan, but her fatalistic elder brother. The setting was different too; we were playing in the quiet club room after the tiring exam day. After Yuigahama-san left earlier, it just felt right for me to talk with a Hikigaya over the game of chess.

"Don't you have anything to ask me, Hikigaya-kun?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Again- ah, when the two of you..."

"I know what the two of us did." I sighed. "Let me get us tea."

"Thanks." He packed up the chess set as I brewed tea for the two of us.

"There's no use hiding it, is there?"

"What do you want me to do, Yukinoshita?" He paused to take a sip out of his tea. "Isn't it easier to pretend I heard nothing, staying just where we are right now?"

"But we won't always be here. We will change, we will drift apart, we will find our own paths..."

"And maybe it's better that way. No one will get hurt, as everything separates into their own destiny."

"But that way _everyone_ will get hurt. That's where you're mistaken, Hikigaya-kun. Leaving everyone in the shadow of doubt wouldn't save anyone." I looked straight into his eyes. "Above all, it would hurt _you,_ Hikigaya-kun. Not everyone would let you harm yourself in order to save another."

"Hiratsuka-sensei had taught you alright."

"She has nothing to do with this."

"Then maybe you have nothing to do with my feelings either." He left me alone, his voice echoed in the empty room.

That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear.

I chased after him, grabbed and threw his shoulder to the wall. "How long are you going to run away, you coward?"

"Yukinoshita, it hurts..."

"You bet it hurts!" His eyes widened as several passerby looked at us curiously.

"What do you want from me?"

"No, Hikigaya-kun, what do _you_ want from me? Do you want me to say it out loud? Do you want me to announce it to the entire school? Because believe me, if you tell me to, I _will_. I will do _anything_ for you, so why can't you understand?!"

"Yukinoshita..." I buried my face on his chest.

"I love you, Hikigaya-kun."

But I know he won't answer me.

"I'm sorry." His words were certainly the words of rejection, and yet her hands made no effort to push me away. Instead, his arms wrapped around my shoulder, as if channeling his strength to my body.

"I'm sorry for being such a cowards, I'm sorry for being unable to be honest to you and myself.I'm sorry... " his arms tightened.

"I'm sorry that I can't admit falling in love with you."

* * *

"Check." I placed my Queen in direct line to the White King.

Visiting Hikigaya house had become a habit of mine, and I can't see myself ending this habit for the foreseeable future. Even with deadlines and inhuman assignments plaguing my life, a round of chess against Hachiman or Komachi always helps me unwind myself.

"I don't think you should be visiting me this often." Hachiman complained as he moved a pawn to block my Queen.

"My, do you not love me anymore, Hachiman?" I moved my own pawn to capture his offending pawn

"It's not like that, just... You're really busy, right? I saw your schedule. I saw your assignments. As a Yukinoshita, I bet that's not all that's restricting your life."

"True enough." He moved his Knight to threaten my Queen, but again my pawn captured it aggressively.

"So you should spend your time more efficiently, and sleep more often."

"Well, unlike _a certain someone_ ," I smirked "I have efficient enough schedule that I could spare an hour or two playing chess with you."

"It's not..."

"I appreciate your sentiment, Hachiman, but I'm afraid it's my victory. Checkmate." I moved my Queen right beside his King, supported by a Knight and a Bishop. He smiled.

"Well, I suppose I owe you a kiss." I smiled.

* * *

 **This fic is officially 8manxYukinon lol I rlly don't know how am I supposed to write a romance fic, it's always easier for me to write rejection scene.**

 **Critics and Reviews are always appreciated. riyangendut out.**


End file.
